


What happens in the dark

by Stellacarlberg



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Era, Darkness, Established Relationship, Feelings, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, One Shot, Secret Relationship, Slightly misogynistic conversations tbh, badly written accents, it's 1899
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 07:02:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18361013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellacarlberg/pseuds/Stellacarlberg
Summary: Mush is acting strange, and Race and Albert come to the wrong conclusion.





	What happens in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short one shot because I love Blush, and I wanted to write some canon era!! Hope you enjoy!

”Hey, Mush! You in for a game?”

Mush stops abruptly in his tracks and looks over his shoulder. Race is playing with his dices, his hat laying forgotten on the floor beside him and a cigar hanging unlit from between his lips. Other newsies are starting to gather around him: In the lodging house, games with Racetrack are almost as popular and highly sought after as good headlines. Now there are six or so boys sitting on the floor, mostly those who are the youngest and least experienced in losing money. They are chatting excitedly among themselves. The slightly older newsies are less interested. Albert is laying in his bunk, but he’s eyeing the dices like he is considering if getting up from his comfortable position would be worth the money he could possibly win. Buttons and Henry have both gone to their respective homes, just like Davey did a while ago with an exhausted Les leaning on him heavily. Jack is nowhere to be seen, but if that means he is out visiting Katherine or just up on the roof is unclear. Mush had hoped that everyone would be too distracted to notice him leaving.

Race raises his eyebrows. ”Well?”

”Uh,” Mush says, unknowingly moving backwards towards the door. ”I’s thinking of, um, taking a walk.”

”A walk?” Finch passes by him, hair damp from washing himself before going to bed. ”It ain’t even light out.”

Mush continues to creep backwards until he can feel the hard surface of the doorway against his back. ”Imma just get some fresh air,”

”Let him go,” Albert says. ”He is probably meeting a girl, ain’t that right?” He has gotten hold of Race’s cigar, and is toying with it before Finch takes it and puts it back on Race’s bed.

”Mush ain’t got the smarts to keep a girl,” Romeo pipes up from his seat on the floor. There is a wave of snickers going through the group, and he looks pleased by this attention.

Race nudges his side. ”The only way he’d keep a girl is to pay her, ain’t that right?” There is a sound of agreement from Albert’s bunk.

The insults are good hearted and not uncommon in the lodging house, so Mush only smiles. He hopes it looks casual. ”No point trying to keep a girl with you beside me, Race,” he says. ”Ain’t my fault you’se keep scaring the pretty ones away, with your ugly mug. Now piss of and let me go on my walk, will you?” 

He hopes to all the gods he does and doesn’t believe in that no one is going to question this. It seems like he is in luck. Race just grins at the banter and put his focus back on the game in front of him. Albert has taken back the cigar again. Finch only shrugs at Mush before throwing himself into his bunk.

Mush takes this as his queue to leave and quickly backs out of the doorway before anyone can stop him.

Finch had been correct, it’s almost pitch-black outside. The sole thing illuminating the area outside the front door is a wonky lamp post glowing ominously a few feet away. The warm light doesn’t reach to all of the crooks and hidden corners of the building. Mush glances over his shoulder more than once, trying to listen to any sound that might indicate someone watching him. He could probably soak anyone who’d dare to pick a fight with him. That doesn’t mean he necessarily wants to, though.

After another few seconds of silent waiting he starts walking. He doesn’t go far, only a couple of steps before turning right and sneaking around the corner of the building. There is a wired fence to keep unwanted visitors away from this area, since you can climb up to the few windows of the sleeping quarters from there. The fence was put up about a year ago, after the problem with newsies sneaking outsider friends and, if they were particularly daring, girls, into the lodging house had gotten out of hand. The fence is made out of thin metal and makes a lot of noise when Mush puts shakes it. He scales it anyway and silently cringes every time he thinks the sound of rattling fence can be heard out to the street or through the windows upstairs.

He manages to get over the edge without attracting the police or tearing his clothes, and he jumps the last few feet to the ground. His heart is beating hard in his chest, and he glances around. Here it’s even darker without any sort of artificial light. Only the half moon and the stars overhead makes it possible to see where he’s supposed to put his feet. He glances up towards the building looming over him. The lack of light should make it impossible to see what is happening, if someone was to glance down from any of the windows. That thought is comforting.

The air smells of old trash and urine. It stings his nostrils uncomfortably, but he ignores it. Without good sight he has to rely on his hands to not walk into anything. He thinks he must look pretty ridiculous like this – walking agonizingly slowly with his arms stretched out in front of him – and he is glad no one can see him. He can hear a small scattering around his ankles and he hopes the rats will ignore him in favor of the rotting food all around. Rat bites aren’t something he wants to deal with, he has enough trouble keeping himself from catching fleas from Buttons.

His foot his something solid, and he takes a sudden step backwards. His heel bangs against something behind him, and there is the unwelcome sound of metal rasping against the ground.

There is a beat of silence during which he doesn’t move, doesn’t are to make any sound. Did anyone hear that? The possibility of someone catching him out here makes his stomach curl. How would he explain himself? None of is friends would buy any excuse as to why he’d rather walk through stinking trash than be inside playing dice.

Then he can hear the sound of breathing right in front of him. ”Mush?” The voice sounds too loud for the otherwise calm and still night, but it’s also very familiar.

He can feel himself releasing a breath he was holding in. ”Blink.”

”Yeah,” Blink confirms and Mush can feel himself relax almost by instinct. ”Was beginning to think you was ditching me.”

”Nah,” Mush whispers. ”There was a holdup, Race tried to rope me into a game of dice.” His hands travel forward until they find Blink’s chest. It’s solid and warm, rising slightly in time with the puffs of air escaping his mouth. There is a small feeling of dismay in Mush stomach. ”I can’t see ya,” he complains, and Blink laughs quietly.

”I know,” he says and takes Mush’s hand in his own The warmth emitting from his skin travels to Mush and lights him up like a bit of dry wood caught ablaze. He drags Blink towards himself and removes any distance between them. Blink is a steady figure who simply embraces Mush without any sort of hesitation. Mush can feel his own heartbeat and wonders if it’s noticeable to Blink as well. He doesn’t ask, but instead lets his hand find Blink’s face. He strokes his cheek slowly. 

Blink’s breath hitches. ”Think anyone can see us?” he asks, and Mush stops.

”No,” he says honestly. ”Not even we can see us, Blink.”

He laughs at that and it makes Mush break into a smile. ”You’s got a point.”

After getting that out of the way, Blink doesn’t hesitate but instead leans forward and catches Mush’s lips with his own.

When they both sneak back into the lodging house a good while later, they do so with flushed cheeks and feigned innocent looks. It is quiet in the sleeping quarters, most of the boys already sleeping or trying to fall asleep. Blink releases Mush’s hand before walking in first. Mush stands still and counts to twenty over and over again until he is completely certain it must be enough. He goes inside, trying to not disturb the ones sleeping. After first shrugging off his suspenders and then his shirt, which is already halfunbottoned, he sits down on the bed and starts the work of getting his shoes off. A small cough makes him stop and glance up.

Race and Albert are both looking at him from their respective bunks in their shared bed, Race with raised eyebrows and Albert with a knowing smirk on his lips.

Mush can feel his face growing warm under their stares, but gives them a look which he hopes is perfectly innocent. His heart is in his throat, and he swallows to force it down to where it’s supposed to be located. ”What?” he whispers.

”A walk, huh?” Race says and breaks into a grin as well. Albert snickers.

Mush blinks. ”Yes,” he says and lies down on the mattress. It’s too hot to use the blanket, so he kicks it aside. ”I like walks.”

”I bet.”

There is a second or two of silence, but he doesn’t dare glace at the bed beside him in fear of the worst. Instead he keeps his eyes fixed on the underside of the top bunk, where the mattress has sunk down from the weight of Specs.

”Don’t forget to cover up the bruise you got there,” Race says with a teasing tone. ”You don’t want people think you got into a… fight, do you?”

Mush’s fingers brush against his neck and he swallows. Dismiss. They ain’t got any real proof, after all. Deny it all. ”Don’t know what you’re talking ’bout.”

Race scoffs. ”Sure,” he says, but Mush can hear the sound of him laying down as well. ”If you ain’t gonna tell us Imma just have to ask the girls down by the bowery.”

Mush looks at him. ”The… The bowery?”

Race looks triumphant, like this is a confession. ”That’s right. No worries, we won’t tell no one.” He grins. ”But hey, nice going.”

Albert lets out a small laugh, which is immediately met by someone shushing him from across the room. Mush glances at him. His hand is covering his mouth and his body is shaking with silent laughter.

Mush’s heart rate is slowing down considerably. The bowery girls, famous for their good looks and low prices. That’s okay, then. Actually, it’s more than okay. It’s an opportunity. Tomorrow, he will go down to the bowery and ask them to cover for him. He knows a couple of them, used to run errands for them before starting to sell papes. If he find the right ones, they will help him.

”Ain’t got nothing to say, Mushie?” Albert asks. He has finally stopped laughing, but he is still smiling cockily.

Mush glances from him to Race, who looks very pleased with what they believe is proof. He sighs and rolls over. Suddenly he is very tired. ”Go to sleep, Al,” he says, and closes his eyes to the sound of his friends cooing mockingly.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Say hi on tumblr! @Pizzas-will-rule-the-world


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